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GÉANT appoints Erik Huizer as Interim CEO

Published Date 19/07/17 10:05

GÉANT has appointed Erik Huizer as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective immediately, replacing Steve Cotter who has left GÉANT by mutual agreement with the GÉANT Association Board. As the result of this appointment, Erik Huizer will temporarily suspend his activities at SURFnet. Once GÉANT has recruited a new permanent CEO, Erik Huizer will resume his position as CTO at SURFnet.

The current CEO of GÉANT, Steve Cotter, has left his position in agreement with the GÉANT Association Board in order to accept a new job in New Zealand. The GÉANT Board of Directors considers it extremely important to safeguard the positive developments introduced by Steve Cotter during the search for a new CEO. This is why the Board of Directors was keen for the interim CEO to come from within the Board itself. Erik Huizer was a member of the GÉANT Board of Directors.

"It has been an enormous privilege to have led GÉANT during an important period of transformation and growth", stated Steve Cotter. "I am proud to have worked with remarkable colleagues who are so committed to advancing R&E technologies and services throughout the world."

"The Board is thankful for Steve's period of service and leadership", stated Christian Grimm, Chairman of GÉANT. "Steve's leadership has been instrumental in making important steps to complete the merger process. He very professionally implemented necessary changes in the organisation to enhance the delivery of valued services to Members of the Association. Steve also established a new Executive team that will benefit the Association, its Members and users in the European R&E community in the forthcoming years."

Erik Huizer has a long-standing involvement with the NREN community and is currently CTO of SURFnet and he was a member of the GÉANT Association Board until he stepped down to take up the CEO position. Before SURFnet he served as Managing Director for ICT at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Erik has fulfilled various board-level functions of Internet related organisations and for over 30 years has been involved in education and research networking, Internet standardisation and Internet governance. For his contributions to the Internet he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014.

As Interim CEO Erik will ensure GÉANT continues to evolve, ensuring a smooth transition whilst a permanent CEO is recruited. In the meantime, Floor Jas, member of the management team at SURFnet, will take on any ongoing CTO tasks at SURFnet.